I use photography as an outlet for self-expression; I try to capture pictures that bring emotion to me as well as the viewer and I try to express my interpretation of the world around me through my photographs. Exploring the world around me in more detail has helped me appreciate the things around me and brought a more creative side to my mind. My goal as a photographer is to draw viewers in through nostalgia and feelings of the past. I like capturing photos that remind someone of an old memory or the past. I think it’s important because in many ways, the past has made you who you are today – and that can be expressed through a good photograph.
My choice of subject comes from the influences of my family and friends. They drive me to be the photographer that I am and they are supportive in what I love to do. They help me discover who I am as a photographer and are always giving me feedback on the things I need to improve on. My choice of subject also comes from nature, and the beauty of the world around me. I don’t like to edit pictures too much because I believe the beauty of nature should not go hidden under a mask; it should only be enhanced. My inspiration also comes from the photographer Ansel Adams. His main focus was nature and he always shot in black in white. What I really enjoy about his photos is that they aren’t over done, and they show tremendous detail of nature itself without the need of photoshop. Although I don’t always shoot in black in white, his work really inspires me and teaches me that beauty in nature can be found at anytime, anywhere. My photography evokes the power of the past. I use slow shutters and large apertures to capture the fullest potential and detail of my subjects. Recently, I’ve been trying to take more portraits but I still believe my strongest point is in landscape. Being able to capture beauty in any moment really drives me to be a better photographer. In my opinion, nature photos can bring up memories for almost anyone; and that’s how I feel viewers connect to my work. It’s really interesting how a picture of a lake can spark up so many different memories for people, even though it’s only one photo. I really value people’s connections to my work and helping people feel inspired through my work. What I value most about photography is being able to capture emotion behind a single photograph. It’s way to tell stories or share feelings that can’t always be expressed through words. It’s one of the many reasons why I became a photographer; to capture emotion in a way that’s beyond words. I feel like this is effective and it makes people a lot more interested in your work when you’re able to draw emotion out of the viewer that originally was thought to not be there.
Overall, I believe that my strengths as a photographer are set in nature and nostalgic. I hope that in ten years from now I can look back on my photographs and remember where I took them, or why or even see if my interpretation of the photo has changed. I’m inspired by capturing lights and darks within my photos to create dramatic effects, so I’m very excited to see where photography leads me next. Photography is an art that is changing by the day, but I feel like no matter what, parts of it will stay the same. Many photographers have an objective for their work; majority of the time it’s to inspire. I believe that as a photographer my work will be getting stronger by the day, and hopefully one day I will be able to look back on my photos and really see how I’ve improved. I’m excited for the journey that lies ahead in the area of photography.
Faith Bramer 